1.4.1
The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way
A Posteriori Arguments: The Teleological Argument
A Posteriori Arguments: The Teleological Argument
The word teleological comes from the Greek word telos, meaning goal or purpose. The world and things in it seem to move towards certain goals or ends.
A posteriori arguments
A posteriori arguments
- Arguments based on observation are called in Latin a posteriori arguments.
- These have a prominent place in the philosophy of religion.
- Aquinas’ five ways are all a posteriori as he did not believe an a priori argument (an argument based purely on logic or deduction) for God would be valid.
- This was a consequence of the epistemology (theory of knowledge) that he had inherited from Aristotle.
Efficient & final causes
Efficient & final causes
- Aristotelian-Thomistic scholars (working in the tradition of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas) say that efficient causality is unthinkable without final causality.
- Efficient causes change things or bring them into existence (e.g. heat is the efficient cause of the melting of ice and phosphorous in a match head is the efficient cause of the flame on a match).
- Final causes are just the outcome of these causes – the water/the flame. When we talk about telos, we mean these final causes.
The Teleological Argument: Aquinas' Fifth Way
The Teleological Argument: Aquinas' Fifth Way
Teleological arguments go all the way back to Plato. Plato proposed that the cosmos is directed by intelligence.
Aquinas' fifth way
Aquinas' fifth way
- Aquinas' fifth way uses the observation that non-intelligent organic life acts in certain ordered, cyclical and purposive ways. For example:
- Given the right conditions, acorns always grow into oak trees and not wombats.
- The moon has a regular 29 and a half-day cycle.
Acting for goals & intelligence
Acting for goals & intelligence
- The fact that non-intelligent things (like acorns and plankton) always act in certain ways for certain goals implies that they were given those goals by intelligence because only intelligent beings can assign a purpose to things and move that thing towards its purpose.
Archery example
Archery example
- Aquinas gives the example of arrows fired by an archer to hit a target.
- Without the archer giving the purposive direction, the arrow would remain in the quiver.
- A simplified version of the argument might say that the order and purpose we see in the universe needs an explanation in terms of a guiding intelligence.
Aquinas’ fifth way
Aquinas’ fifth way
- The argument can be put like this:
- The natural world obeys natural laws.
- Natural things flourish as they obey these laws.
- Things without intelligence can’t direct themselves.
- Therefore, things without intelligence require something with intelligence to direct them to their goals.
- This is God.
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
Jump to other topics
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
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